Mixing, disintegrating, or homogenizing machine



June 1 ,wme 15mm H. E. AUSTIN MIXING, DISINTEGRATING, OR HOMOGENIZING MACHINE Filed May 18, 1925 atented June 1, T26.

rsaaosa HAROLD E. AUSTIN, 0F LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR '10 AMERXCAN CREOSOT- ING GOMPANY, 0F LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

MIXING, DIilINTEGRATING, OR HOMQGENIZING MACHINE.

application filed may 18, 1925. Serial No. 31,177.

This invention relates to a mixing disintegrating, or homogenizing machine m which a surface is revolved inclose association with another surface, or in which surfaces are revolved in close association with each other and spaced by a relatively narrow gap through which the liquids must pass.

Heretofore mills have been constructed having closely associated moving surfaces spaced apart by a gap which is of a uniform thickness throughout so thatthe materials were required to be finely ground before being suspended in a liquid vehicle in order that the particles could be received within the restricted space between the movmg surfaces and, furthermore, the viscosity of the liquid not only limited the fineness of the grinding, and the intimacy of the mixture or degree of dispersion of the particles in the liquid, but prevented the admisslon of the mixture to the relatively narrow space between the moving surfaces.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a mill having a smooth surface of uniform design movable at a high speed relative to another surface and in which. the

space between the surfaces is so formed'that the viscosity of the liquids and the degree of fineness of the grinding of the materials dispersed in the liquid will have no material effect upon the efficient operation of the mill, since compensation for the admission of the liquid has been provided for by the flaring mouth of the receiving end of the space.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a mill having a working surface rotating at a high speed relative to another surface, the surfaces being'spaced at progressively varying distances so that the space converges from the flaring feeding end to the discharge end, with compensating means for increasing or diminishing the spacing by an increment which causes the feeding end of the space to be widened a greater extent in proportion to the enlargement of the discharging end. The flaring mouth or feeding end permits the ready admission of a viscous liquid dispersed with particles of a material or a plurality of liquids which are forced through the restricted space and subjected to adhesions,

formed and broken at great rapidity and to the action of the centrifugal force so that theoretically the liquid is drawn out into streams of minute cross-sectional area travelforce tending to break said streams into infinitesimal particles and to fling them against the stationary surface. The higher velocities of the surface'areas of the rotor due to the increasing diameters of said rotor adjacent the discharging end of the space tends to hasten the discharge of the liquids. However, since the space between the workmg surfaces converge from the feed to the discharge end and since the width of the discharge end of said space maybe regulated at will to compensate for liquids of varying degrees of viscosity and for particles of varying sizes, the rapidity at which the homogenized liquid is expelled may be teracted by a greater mass of the materials being concentrated in the flared mouth of the feeding end ofthe space where the action of the centrifugal force is at a minimum and where the adhesions are greater so that not only is the feed more uniform than in those machines in which the width of the feeding end between conically formed workmg surfaces of the space is substantially the same as the width of the discharge end, but a greater quantity of the materials is adhesively picked up and fed between the space thus eliminating any possibility of forming broken films as the final product.

p In the drawings,

Figure 1 is an end view of the mill;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the mill; I

Fig. 3 is a section of the mill showing an enlarged detail of the rotor with the working surface moved into engagement with the 5! ing spirally and acted upon by centrifugal lower end of theenlargcment 2 is provided with a discharge passage 7 connecting the annular chamber 3 with a discharge pipe 8.,

The annular lower end of the enlargement adjacent the discharge passage 7 is provided with a base member 9. The standard 10 connects the inner end of the base member with the inner end of the conically shaped casing 1 and together with the base forms a support for the mill which may be'sccured in any approved manner to a table or other fixed support.

The inner end of the'conically shaped casing has a recessed or countersunk portion 11 in which is placed a gasket 12 of any approved design and secured in place by means of threaded bolts 13 and is adapted to seal the chamber 14 in the casing 1 from the chamber 15 formed between the stator 5 and the enlargement 2 on the casing.

A ball bearing 16 is mounted in the upper end of the casing 1 adjacent the packing 12 and abuts at one end a sleeve 17 mounted on a drive shaft 18.- The other end of the bearing abuts a hub 19 formed upon the in-V ncr end of a rotor 20. The other end of the sleeve is in engagement with a combination thrust and radial bearing generally designated by the numeral 21.

The combination radial and thrust hear ing consists of an outer sleeve 22 threaded into the internally threaded portion 23 of the outer end of the casing 1 and has a flange 24 at its lower end on which is seated an outer ball race 25. An inner ball race 26 is adapted to cooperate with the race 25 to maintain the balls 27 in position. The inner race has an intermediate flange 28 provided with a groove adapted to receive the balls 29, while the ring 30, likewise provided with a groove, cooperates with the grooved flange to form a race for the balls 29, the ring 30 being seated upon a shoulder 31 on the outer ball race 25. A ring 32 is bolted to the outer sleeve 21 and engages the upper edge of the outer race 25 and maintains saidrace in position, while the sleeve 17 embracing the shaft 18 abuts the inner end of the inner race 26. A washer 33 on the shaft 18 and in engagement with the outer end of the inner race 26 is locked in place by a nut 34 screwed upon the threaded portion of the shaft 18. A flanged cap 35 is bolted to the threaded sleeve 21 and has an opening to receive the shaft 18, said opening being scaled by means of a closure 36 bolted to the cap and a felt packing 37 connected with the closure 36. The packing embraces the shaft and aids in preventing the loss of lubricant from the hearing at this point.

The outer annular working face of the stator 5, as shown at 38, is ground to a curved surface preferably in the shape of a paraholoid or ellipsoid which is adapted to cooperate with a similarly formed surface 35) on the rotor 20. These, surfaces are so formed that the mouth orjfeed'ing end 40 of the space between the surfaces is wider than the discharge end 41 and the particular construction.ofthe surfaces is such that when the thrust bearing is adjusted so that the rotor 20 will be moved away from the stator' 5 the mouth or feeding 'end of the working space will be enlarged in greater proportion than the discharge end 41 and likewise when the rotor is moved toward the stator the discharge end will be decreased in greater proportion than the decrease in the feeding end of the space between the surfaces 38 and 39. The surfaces are a ground fit as shown in Fig. 3.

A nut 42 is adapted to lock the rotor 20 on theshaft 18. The conically shaped end -13 of the shaft together with a key 15 provides for the rigid locking of the rotor on the shaft without increasing the pressure on the radial bearing 16.

j The rotor 20 through the shaft 18 isrevolved at ahigh speed by any convenient means either by direct attachment to a motor or by means of connections with a rotating element as may be desired.

The grinding surfaces are shown as segments of the surface of a hyperboloid of revolution and both of the surfaces are of the same form so that they may be finished during manufacture by grinding one surface against the other. However, it is not essential that the. surfaces have the same form since it is only necessarythat the space between the surfaces converge inthe direction of the flow of the liquid so that liquids of some degree of viscosity impregnated with particles of matter may be readily admitted to the flared mouth of the space and be forced between the surfaces and emerge in a perfectly homogenized state. Other surfaces than a hyperboloid may be employed which will allow the initial grinding of the surfaces against each other and when liquid having a predetermined degree of viscosity and impregnated with particles of a definite size. The shaft'is rotated at a high rate. of speed as will be the rotor and the materials to be ground emulsified, or

intimately mixed, as the case may be, are fed through the openings 6 into the chamber,

15 where they will be received within the operates .with the acceleration and retardaexpanded or flared mouth 40 of the space tlon of the materials to prevent ruptures in between the surfaces 38 and 39,.res ectively the film and provide a uniform discharge.

of the stator and rotor. The materials such By the proper selection of the surface used as liquids or a liquid havin dispersed parand of the particular portion of the surface slight pressure and-drawn out through the as is governed by the viscosity and size of pipe 8 after passage through themill. It the particles suspended, the mill maybe conis not essential that 'a great pressure he structed to meet all the exigencies of grindemployed for forcing the materials between ing or'disintegrating the liquid and suspendthe rotating disk 20 and its seat 5 since ed particles from a comparatively coarse sufficient centrifugal action coupled with state to a fineness or intimacy not ordinarily adhesions by the cutting of the working face contemplated.

39 of the disk or rotor at the flared portion While I have shown amill of the horizonof the mouth 4-0 will be present to accointal type, it will be appreciated that a vertiplish the result and he the mill ample cacal mill may be employed with the same repacity. Due to the high speed, the centrifusults as have been described in reference to a gal force throws the particles farther in behorizontal mill.

tween the converging grinding surfaces 'Having thus described the invention, what which further reduces the size of the paris claimed: I

ticles and this action continues until all 1. Amixing, disintegrating or homogenizthe particles are of such fineness that, while ing machine comprising elements ,rotatable being suspended in the liquid, they can pass relative to each other and presenting closely between the surfaces '-at their outermost adjacent surfaces ground to fit and formed edge where they emerge from the space from segments of the surface of a parabobetween the two surfaces. While comparaloid of revolution to provide a narrow space tively coarse particles of the viscous liquids therebetween, having a flaring feeding end may enter between the surfaces, they cannot and a discharge end, said space converging proceed until they have been reduced in from the feeding to the discharge end, the size or until the liquid has been very finely portion of the s ace adjacent the discharge divided by the action of the mill. It will end being sufficiently constricted to retard be appreciated that due to the reduced dithe discharge of material passing through amcter at the outer end of the rotor 20, as the space, means for rotating one of the eleslower rate than particles which approach space, the construction of the surface being the discharge end 41 of the space between such that said means will cause proportionthe surfaces 38 and 39, with the velocity ately a greater increase in the capacity of increasing as the particles travel from the the feeding end than the increase in the dismouth 40 toward said discharge end so that charge end.

not only the pressure between the surfaces '2. A mixing, disintegrating or homogenizincreases between the mouth and the dising machine comprising a casing, a cover for charge, end, but the materials, whether liqthe casing, a rotatable disc having a curved ticles arefed through the inlet 6 under a used to meet such requirements of the liquid 4 shown at 44, particles which are engaged ments, and means for increasing the capacity by this portion of the rotor travel at a of the feeding and discharge 'end of the uid or particles and liquid, travel at a greater working surface, a seat formed on the cover speed up to a predetermined point in the having a working surface complementariiy length of-the space after which the velocity formed to the curved surface of the disc, is retarded by the gradually constricting said working surfaces being ground to fit space adjacent the discharge end. and formed from segments of the surfaces At the mouth of the space, the liquid is ,of a paraboloid of revolution so that when out by the working surface 39 and is picked said working surfaces are spaced from each up through adhesion to the rotor and the other a gap will be formed between said surparticles dispersed throughout the liquid are faces converging from end to end to present forced with the liquid through the gradually a flaring feeding end and a restricted disconvergine space and ground to a fineness charge end, a drive shaft mounted for rotawliich is determined by the adjustment of tion in the casing and connected with the the rotating surface of the disk 20 toward disc, means for adjusting the shaft longituthe fixed surface through the longitudinal dinally of the casing for varying spacing beadjustment of the shaft 18. Since the path tween the working surfaces of the disc and of the particles of the materials being treatthe seat by small increments, the construced includes a combined forward and circution of the surfaces being such that the space lar movement, the result is a' spiral feed with at the feeding end will be increased in a progressively increasing speed until the greater proportion to the increase'of the constriction in the space retards the velocity. space at the restricted discharge end.

The uniform feeding, because of the volume 3. A mixing, disintegrating or homogenizof materials entering the flaring mouth, 00- ing machine comprising a casing, a cover for the casing, a rotatable disc having a curved working surface, a seat formed on the cover having a working surface COIIlPlOIHQIltZLIllY formed to the curved surface of the disc, said working surfaces being ground to fit and formed from segments of the surfaces of a paraboloid of revolution so that when said working surfaces are spaced from each other a gap will be formed between said surfaces converging from end to end to present a flaring feeding end and a restricted discharge end, a drive shaft mounted for rotation in memes the casing and connected with the disc, and a thrust and roller bearing in the casing and in operative relation with the shaft for adjusting the shaft longitudinally of the casing for varying the shape of the gap, the construction of the surfaces being such that the space at the feeding end will be increased in greater proportion to the increase of the 20 space at the restricted discharge end.

in testimony whereof Iaffix my signature.

HAROLD E. AUSTIN. 

